Backup Exec Upgrade and Migration with a separate SQL server

[vanadasd]

Hey Everyone!

We're looking to upgrade BE2012 to 2014 (maybe 2015, but I hear the process is basically the same), and we have also purchased a new backup server that we would like to move to.

Our current environment is just one BE server, the database for Backup Exec is on a standard SQL server somewhere else in the environment (not express).

I noticed that the best practice for an upgrade and a migration is to do an in-place upgrade first, and then migrate to the new server.  Can somebody verify that I will still need to perform this process if my SQL database is on a seperate server?  I was hoping that I might be able to just install BE2014 on the new server, point it at the BE2012 Database, and it would take care of the upgrade for me, without me needing to do the in-place upgrade first.

Let me know if you have any other questions!

Adam

[CraigV · Accepted solution]

...there might be some changes made in the BEDB itself, hence the suggestion to do an in-place upgrade and then migrate to the new server. You could also look at installing BE 2012 on the new server, point it at the SQL server and copy the Data/Catalogs folders to this server from the old media server, and then do the upgrade.

Thanks!

[pkh]

How are you going to point to the BE 2012 BEDB?

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As an aside, suppose that your data centre is wiped out. Both the media server and the SQL machine on which the BEDB resides on are gone.  Assuming that you have all your backups in some safe location, how are you going to recover your data centre.  Give a brief outline of how you are going to recover to a stage when you can start restore all your remote servers.

[vanadasd]

Thanks for your help everyone,

@pkh, I was just hoping that I could do a custom install on the new backup server with BE2014, point it at the BE2012 DB that already exists, and I was hoping it would handle the migration/schema changes on the install.

@CraigV, thanks for the alternate idea, both options appear to be pretty similar from a level of effort perspective.

I briefly talked to Veritas Support on this as well, I think we're all in agreement now that we should indeed do the in-place upgrade first and then migrate everything to the new box no matter what the configuration.  I'll go ahead and make that happen, thanks for your help!

Adam